


The Earing

by claroso



Series: The Clara Amell Story [6]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Commitment, Earing, F/M, Friends to Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-09
Updated: 2019-09-09
Packaged: 2020-10-13 13:20:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20583158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/claroso/pseuds/claroso
Summary: Zevran and Clara Amell are lovers and friends, standing together against the Blight. But can they be more?





	The Earing

Zevran lay on the most comfortable bed he had ever had the pleasure of enjoying. His naked lover was curled up against his side, her head on his chest, idly tracing his tattoos. Her scent--warmth and clean cotton--hung heavy in the air. He was pleasantly sore and very satisfied. He should be drifting off to the Fade by now.

Instead, he was wide awake. His heart pounded and his palms were sweaty.

"I did not thank you." He said suddenly. Clara lifted her head to meet her gaze. "It occurs to me now you have freed me from the Crows, and yet I did not think to thank you for it. No matter why you did it, still it was done, and I, the benefactor. So, thank you."

"There's no need, Zev." She smiled.

He took her hand and kissed it. "No, there is a need."

"Alright."

Squeezing her hand, he sat up and reached for his bag. "Here, it seems an appropriate moment to, ah!" He pulled out an earring and held it up to the light. "to give you this."

The simple gold hoop held a single black diamond. It glittered in the light as he held it out to the beautiful mage in his bed.

"An earring?" She asked, taking it carefully. "I acquired it on my very first job for the Crows. A Rivani merchant prince was wearing this earring when I killed him. In fact, he was wearing this and little else. I thought it was beautiful and took it to mark the occasion." He tried to ignore the way his stomach flipped when she looked up at him, her eyes glittering with some emotion he couldn't name. "I'd like you to have it."

"Zev, this is too much... If it means that much to you, you should keep it."

"No, I insist." He forced a laugh through his suddenly tight throat. "Don't get the wrong idea about it. You killed Talesian, and as far as the Crows are concerned, I died with him. That means I am free, at least for now. Feel free to wear it or sell it, do whatever you like with it."

"Oh." Her face went still.

He shrugged. "It's the least I could give you, after you went through so much trouble on my behalf."

"Is that what this is to you?" Clara said slowly. "A transaction?"

He frowned. "No, I--"

She shoved it back into his hands. "I don't need some stupid bauble for helping you, I did it for you!"

"It means a lot to me and--"

"So now it means something? You just said it didn't!"

"Why are you being so difficult?" He scowled. "We pick up every bit of treasure we come across, _no es gran cosa_, but not this! This you want to labor over!"

"You're the one that brought this whole thing up!" She stabbed her finger into his chest.

"Brasca, woman, just take it." He held it out to her, but she shoved his hand away. "We're friends, aren't we? Friends get each other gifts, now here, take it!"

"Well, I thought we were more than friends!" She shouted. His heart tripped on a beat. "Aren't we? Zev?" She asked urgently, reaching for him.

He ducked her outstretched hand and slid off the bed, holding the earring tightly. He hastily pulled on clothes, ears buzzing. "Fine. You don't want earring, you don't get earring. Very simple." With one last glare, he slammed the door behind him and took off. He'd find somewhere else to sleep tonight.

* * *

Zevran felt more than saw Clara come up to him while he was sharpening his daggers.

"Zev? I'm going to bed, will you join me?"

"No--I, no--" He cleared his throat, trying to shove down the anxiety clawing at his chest. "I mean, no offence, I simply--no."

"We don't have to have sex, I just thought..." She trailed off, clenching her hands. She looked tired.

"Thank you, but no."

She smiled thinly. "Alright."

* * *

A few days later, he was talking to Oghren when he was literally pulled out of the conversation. With no warning whatsoever, he was up in the air, thrown across Alistair's shoulder, and being marched across camp. After a lot of cursing on his part and stony silence on Alistair's, he was shoved into a tent.

And almost fell over onto Clara. His heart jumped into his throat and he scrambled away, trying to get as far away from her as the tent would allow.

"Ah." He swallowed. "That was...abrupt."

She shrugged minutely. "I didn't ask him to. I think he just got tired of me moping around."

Zevran shook his head. She hadn't been moping--helping to organize Fereldan's troops for an assault didn't leave any time for that--but she hadn't been herself. Neither had he, frankly. Other than her one attempt at conversation, they had been ignoring each other for the past week.

"Could we talk?" She said after a long silence.

"Are you certain you wish to talk about this?" He had tried, many times since their fight, to find the words to explain himself, but his brain refused to. "I don't know what to say."

"Just tell me what you're thinking, please. If what I said was too much, if you don't want to be...involved anymore..." She looked down at her hands. "I've just...It's killing me to not know."

"I..no, I'm acting like a child, I realize." He scooted closer, not quite touching. "Let me try, at least." He took a deep breath. "An assassin must learn to forget about sentiment. it is dangerous, you take you pleasure while you can, when life is good. To expect anything more would be reckless. I thought it was the same between us, something to enjoy, a pleasant distraction and nothing more. And yet..." Clara nodded. "The Circle was the same." "I was raised in a brothel, among those who sold the illusion of love. And as a Crow, I was trained to make my heart cold in favor of the kill." He sighed, looking at her down-turned face, tracing her features with his eyes. "Everything I have been taught says that what I feel is wrong. Yet, I cannot help it. Since you have asked me into your tent, I have been nothing but confused." She looked up to meet his gaze. Storm-blue eyes locked onto his, and he felt the knot in his chest come apart. "Do you understand me at all?"

"I am as confused as you are, Zevran. After what happened in the Circle, I thought I would never get another chance at...this." She held out her hand and he accepted it, twisting their fingers together. "But now that I have it, I'd be an idiot to let it go."

He smiled. "I hope I am not asking for to much, but... might there be some future for us? Some possibility of...I do not know what."

"I hope so. I want there to be." She squeezed his hand. "Is that enough?"

Tears filled his eyes and he nodded. "I still have the earring," He pulled it out of his pocket. "I would like to give it to you as a token...of that future we both hope for. Will you take it?"

"I will." She whispered, taking it and fastening it in her ear. Zevran cupped her cheek and kissed her softly. She leaned into it for a moment, then quickly pushed him flat and straddled him.

He laughed. "Mi amor! What must the others think?"

"They'll think whatever they want," Clara said, eyes dark and hungry. "I don't really care right now."

"No." He pulled her down for another kiss. "Nor do I."


End file.
